Seward High Academic Decathlon Qualifies for State Academic Decathlon Contest February 19/20—Reports Results to Sponsors-Seward Optimist Club!
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe SHS Academic Decathlon Team, coached by Noelle Baker, placed second at the Large School AD Regionals held on line on Saturday, January 9th, competing with other schools in Nebraska of similar size in the Large School AD Division. A total of 37 First Place Gold, Second Place Silver and Third Place Bronze medals were awarded to the Seward team on their AD Regional scoring. They placed second place in the Large School Division, losing only to Omaha’s Daniel Gross High School and will now compete again on line, adding Prepared Speech, Interview and Essay contests to the other seven on line tests in the areas of Art, Literature, Music, Math, Economics, Science and Social Studies.
Academic Decathlon Team representatives, Hannah Kolterman-Wagner and Miriam Voehl, along with the AD Coach Noelle Baker, reported their academic success at the recent Seward Optimist meeting on Wednesday, January 20th in the West Fireplace room at the Seward Civic Center. They reported on the experience to date and thanked the Seward Optimist Club for their support, both financially and “in spirit.” The girls presented an Academic Decathlon Team shirt to the Seward Optimist President Morgan Kozicek.
The Viurtual State AD competition will be held on Friday, February 19 and Saturday, February 20 in the Media Center/Library at Seward High School. The team is sponsored by the School District of Seward High Ability Learner Program (HAL) and the Seward Optimist Club. They will be required to write an essay on an assigned topic in advance on Feb. 5th-afternoon in the SHS Media Center. On Feb. 19th from 5-8 pm the students will present speeches on any topic in a zoom presentation, and be interviewed. On the 20th from 8 AM to 1:00 PM, the will compete in new tests on the same categories under the theme of “The Cold War!”
It should be noted that everyone on the Seward Academic Decathlon Team placed and won medals at the Regional Contest. The following 37 medals were awarded at the regional contest to SHS students….Overall Best Team Score-Elizabeth Gokie, Art-First: Miriam Voehl, Second: Hannah Kolterman-Wagner, Third: Cole Gray, Literature-First: Miriam Voehl, Hannah Kolterman-Wagner, Third: Cole Gray, Isaiah VanBeek, and Emily Gokie. Music- First: Miriam Voehl, Second: Andrew Alley, Third: Cole Gray, Tyler Calway and Emliy Gokie, Math- First-Tyler Calway, Isaiah VanBeek, Braden Adams, Second: Emily Gokie, Elizabeth Gokie, Cole Gray, Ashton Conner, Third: Hannah Kolterman-Wagner, Economics- First-Andrew Alley, Second: Hannah Kolterman-Wagner, Ashton Conner, Cole Gray and Miriam Voehl, Third: Tyler Calway, Science-First: Hannah Kolterman-Wagner, Second: Tyler Calway, Cole Gray, Third: Isaiah VanBeek, Ashton Conner, Social Science/History-First: Cole Gray, Second: Hannah Kolterman-Wagner, Tyler Calway, Third: Miriam Voehl.
The medals and placement awards were announced on line and will now be awarded to the students at a school event. Academic Decathlon Tee Shirts were made especially for the Seward High AD Team and presented to the competitors on the Seward Team at the Regional Contest. The special shirts were funded and sponsored by the Seward Optimist Club!
Regional Finals Placement was First-Daniel Gross High School of Omaha, Second: Seward High School, and Third: Alliance High School. State bound schools include Bellevue East, Creighton Prep, Gross Catholic, Seward, Omaha Burke, Pius X, Adams Central, Amherst, Ashlan-Greenwood, Brownell-Talbot, Duchesne, Johnson County, Lourdes Central Catholic, Mead and Mount Michael High Schools.
Photo: L-R Gloria J. Epps of the Omaha South Optimist Club, Morgan Kozisek-Seward Optimist President with her new AD Team Tee Shirt, AD Coach-Noelle Baker, AD team representatives Hannah Kolterman/Wagner and Miriam Voehl, and Optimist District Governor for Nebraska-Sandra Coaxum Allen of Omaha. The SHS AD Team members reported to the Seward Optimist Club on the success at the regional contest and announced the team, sponsored by the Seward Optimist Club, now qualified for the State Contest in the Large School Division.